The Editor, Sir:

I support the proposal to arm more law-abiding citizens.

I am a licensed firearm holder in Jamaica and I disagree with anyone arguing that owning a licensed firearm makes a person more prone to violence.

Anyone who takes the responsibility of owning a licensed firearm seriously will get the information and training required to do so as safely as is possible. This includes having a secure location to store the firearm. This also includes going to the shooting range to ensure that you are able to hit what you intend to hit.

One of the most important things that I have learnt along the way, however, is discipline.

Just as teaching someone martial arts does not make him or her a more violent person, so it is with a licensed firearm holder. Even though these people possess the ability to be more violent, the whole process of learning also instils discipline. This discipline helps gun-owners to identify potentially dangerous situations; it also helps them to avoid dangerous situations and to deal with such situations efficiently, if no other option exists.

So I am all for arming more law-abiding citizens, once the necessary background checks are done. I would also recommend that a psychological evaluation be done as part of the checks.

Many people are currently unaware of the total number of firearm holders in Jamaica and I suspect if these figures were revealed, especially with the statistics indicating the number of shooting incidents by these persons, more people would agree with Delroy Chuck.

While I don't feel this will solve our crime problem, it will make criminals think twice about whom they target.

I am, etc.,

ROBERT JONES

rjones@hotmail.com

Kingston

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